Sweet in a Bitter way
by luv animemanga forever
Summary: Yaoi, slightly AU. They were having a good time with each other, but suddenly, Len started to act cold towards Ryotaro. The once tight bond was loosening, and the mirror of trust was slowly cracking. Can they mend it, the red string that was binding them?


_**A/N:**_ Hi there, I know that I'm low on my other story, but my laptop is being fixed, the 'Ctrl' on my keyboard is stuck and it annoys me everytime I try to type anything decent into my stories. Anyway, this is just something that came to mind when I was sitting over at my desktop. It's… kind of new. Hope you enjoy it; and in the mean time, if anyone knows how to fix the problem with my laptop then please tell me. I'm getting frustrated. By the way, sorry for the long note.

_**Disclaimer:**_ None of the characters in here belongs to me.

Now on with my first one-shot.

* * *

_**~Sweet in a bitter way~**_

Nothing seemd to be enough anymore… I slid my fingers through my hair. He just kept on demanding higher and higher still. We couldn't keep this up, not for a moment longer. Because I couldn't stand it, could not stand the fact that he was the one who was incharged of everything. I hated that, and I hated him as well. I hated him, hated him a lot…

Right?

Of course. I hated him and that was the obvious truth.

* * *

He would come home late this evening. He called and said so. I sat there in the empty kitchen and awaited his arrival. It was hard to admit, but the house felt so hollow without his presence.

No, it couldn't be like that.

My fingers twitched. He has never done anything to fill the house up, nothing that related to feelings rather than physical things. None whatsoever. Then why was that? Why was it that I was sitting there in the kitchen and waited patiently for him to return even though he has not done anything to fill up the house?

At that moment, the question seemed so stupid and meaningless.

Damn.

Palms clenched into fists as I stood up out of impulse. If he has not done anything to build up the relationship in this family then why was I sitting there to wait for him like a goody little _housewife_ as if nothing happened?

The door shut close behind me.

* * *

I went to meet Hino after calling to tell her that I was coming over, thinking she was the one who would solve all my problems. Okay, maybe not all, just some is fine as well. Her bakery shop was near here, and he said that he would be back a little late, so it did not matter at all.

Wait, why should I care whether it matters to him or not? That damn bastard would not even frown his eyebrows if something were to happen to me anyway.

" Hey, Tsuchiura!" Someone called, and I could tell from hearing the voice that this person was drunk. " What cha doing here?"

" Don't get too excited, Hihara-senpai." I frowned, trying to loosen his arm around my shoulder.

" Ya'r no fun these days ya know… Ever since ya came ta live with… Tsukimori… Yeah! That's rite, Tsukimori!"

" You're drunk, Hihara-senpai. You should hurry back to your apartment."

" See what I meant?" He shouted all of the sudden, drawing people attention.

" You're making a scene, Hihara-senpai. Let me take you home."

" Screw home! Ya coming with me ta-night!" He kept on leaning more and more onto me and the smell of alcohol was all over his body. How did he manage to get this drunk?

" How did you manage to get this drunk anyway?" I ended up asking him myself. Just out of curiosity.

" Azuma invited me out for a drink… Right?... Right! We were talking about… soommething…"

Why did I even ask…

" Okay, okay. I get the story, anyway, let's go back to your apartment, and we can continue the stor- ARGH!"

Hihara-senpai pushed me into the alleyway that was just a few steps away from where we were standing as he puts his arm up against the wall, next to my face. He lowered his torso down and eventually, his eyes met mine.

" I told you, loosen up a bit, Tsuchiura. I don't know what has been going between you and that Tsukimori guy, but you certainly have lost the shine in your eyes." He said it with the utmost serious voice that I have ever heard from him, and in mere seconds, the drunken attitude disappears as if it were not even there in the first place.

" Seriously, Tsuchiura, end it with him. If being with him makes you so miserable then end it."

"Wha-…"

" Don't play dumb. From the look of your face, I can tell that you two are not happy with each other. Split up. I don't want to see one of my friends like this."

" I don't know what you are talking about, Hihara-senpai. We are doing just fine, there is no reason for us to do such. Now if you excuse me."

" Face the fact, Tsuchiura!" He reached his hand out and grabbed my wrist before I got the chance to walk away. " He does NOT love you anymore!"

The whole world froze over. His words resonated inside my mind, and truth to be told, in my mind, that was one of the possibilities. From the very day that Len stopped texting me at the end of his work, the day that he started to come home late and did not even bother to say why, and the day when he stopped saying that he loved me. I knew it… knew it so damn well that it hurts…

So much…

" Who told you that?" Someone said outloud. And it was neither me nor Hihara-senpai, it was someone else altogether. " Who gives you the right to speak such statement about me?" It was _him_.

My eyes widened as I turned to where the voice came from and see his blurry figure. There were tears in my eyes?

" I don't need your permission to claim that when it's so obvious." Hihara-senpai retorted back.

" Even if you are a close friend, it does not necessarily mean that you have the right to say such things about me nor the relationship between Ryotaro and I."

" So what? Is there even a law that bans me from speaking whatever I want. I can say whatever I want wherever I want and whenever I want."

" You two stop it!" I said aloud. " Enough is enough. I've already had my hands full here and I don't need you two to start fighting!"

" Hear that? He's busy trying to think of a way to break up with you." What?

" No… I didn't-…" Len is losing his tie after taking the jacket of his suit off.

" Give it up. He's done with you, man. And by the way, your acting about loving him and all sucks!"

_WHAM!_

My eyes widened at the scene in front of my eyes. Len put his briefcase down and punched Hihara-senpai in the face!

With a lout 'thud', the figure of my senpai fell down onto the ground, and Len stood there panting as his fists clenched, shaking. He turned to look at me and the dark-red shade of his cheeks along with the deep frown tell me that he was incredibly angry.

Angry because of what? Of whom?

He quickly grabbed his briefcase and fallen jacket with one hand and took hold of my wrist with the other, and we ran.

* * *

We kept on running through the crowded streets, shops, twists and turns, I did not even know where we were heading, not until the smell of salt rushed into my nosetrills. And here I was, sitting on the shore of the beach, feeling the sand between my fingers, since I was slightly leaning backwards with my palms faced the ground for support. The soft breezes and the sound of the waves really calmed me down. Just for a moment there I thought that I could just let my worries being blown away, but things were not that easy to begin with.

" Here." The sound of his voice startled me for a bit as I looked up to find that a can of coffee was being offeres to me as I accepted it while thinking that when did go and buy it. Really, I did not even notice.

He sat down next to me, but still kept a two-step distance with a can of drink of his own. It must be tea, I assumes, because I have never seen him drank anything other than that.

I was wrong, and it surprised me a lot to see him holding a can of beer in his hand as he slowly drinks it. I turned my eyes back to mine. The dark-brown liquid was swirling within the can as I moved my hand in circles.

" When did you start drinking beer?" I blurted out the question like an idiot, not expecting any kind of answers, though.

" Now." A short and clear answer. I looked at him again, he was staring at the can in his hand, his facial expression was hard to read, partly because his bangs were covering most of his face.

A long and awkward silence fell upon us after that curt answer of his. I sighed inwardly, I didn't like the atmosphere and this situation at all, and it was getting under my skin. I looked over to the open sea, hoping to relieve the tension that was welling up inside of me. The sun was about to set and suddenly, a wind blow that made the sand twirl. I closed my eyes to prevent the sand from getting into my eyes. Stealing a small glance at him, I couldn't believe that he could sit there so still despite that; he did not seem to be fazed by it,… did not seem to be fazed by anything.

" Are you… really breaking up with me?"

The question was asked with such a low and soft voice that if I had not been paying attention, I would not have heard it, yet I regret hearing it because it make my heart pounds with and intense force. And it made me wonder as well, is it really over? The relationship between him and I that is.

We have known each other since we were in high school, that does not include the day that I saw he performed in the videotape back at oldman's shop. And then the day when I confessed after taking Hino's advice, well she accidentally found out anyway. I was thinking that he would tell me that I was crazy and then went home. But to my surprise, he did not do any of that, instead, he gladly accepted my feelings. We started to go out with each other during summer, and he had to go to Vienna to study and I accepted that and told him that I would wait for him. And I did, for four long years I waited for him to return with doubts in my heart, doubts about him being unfaithful.

In a hot day of Summer, there was a guest in my house and it turned out that it was him, he returned. That afternoon, he asked me whether I wanted to move in with him or not, and the reply was yes. We moved into the apartment that we chose a month after that and began to live a… happy life. Being a little bit famous myself, I sometimes perform with him on stage; yet no one, except of some friends, knows that we were together, not at all.

At first, everything was all right, nothing seemed to be the problem. But as I said, he started to ignore my existance, he barely said more than five sentences to me per day. That was until night fall and everything became more excited and heated, for him I think. Because he demanded more, so he went harder, rougher and more violent. I don't actually know why he has never been like that. Ahem… anyway, and the cycle continues.

Everyday was the same and then in the end, he'd leave in the morning. The house would always be empty by the time I woke up, the sheet over at his side was cold since long. And then I would always go into the kitchen and made breakfast alone.

And the cycle continued…

" I don't know." I whispered the answer because I cannot bring myself to think of an answer.

" Who is it?"

" What do you mean?" I turned to look at him, since I didn't fully understand what that was supposed to mean.

" Who is it that flirts with you?" I stared at him for a few seconds. Did he just ask that?

" No one. Len, no one is flirting with me. And who would anyway?"

" I can think of some names." Another curt, sarcasm dripping answer.

Damn you.

" Stop saying that, I told you that no one, and I mean no one, is flirting with me!"

" What about Hihara?"

" What? Come on, he was drunk and he was just fooling around. Nothing serious there."

" 'Nothing serious' you say." The air around his figure turned eerie. " He told you to split up with me and you said that it was nothing serious." He finally turns to look at me, he looked indifferent and so was his voice, but I can tell that he was raging with anger.

" So? Haven't I already told you that he was drunk?"

" Drunkards don't argue with logical reasons!" His voice was raised all of the sudden as he, for the first time, looked at me with an angry frown. He breathed in and out heavily for a few times then stood up so suddenly that he swayed for a little. " Sorry…" He whispered then slowly walked out towards the sea.

He stood there, the winds brushed against his skin, the golden and soft sunlights illuminated his whole feature. He took another gulp of beer down his throat then set the can down to the sand then turned around.

" Look, Ryotaro. I'm sorry for everything that I did. I hope that you forgive me, it's just that I was a little stressed out and… Well, I know that most of my actions were wrong, I admit that, so you can just leave me and go with someone else. You deserve a much better person than me."

What was he talking about?

" Wait, Len. I-…"

But he turned around and walked forwards, letting the cold salty water soak his feet then slowly to his ankles, and knees, then thighs…

" What are doing?" I shouted, shot up went I realized that he had gone too far just to refresh himself as I assumed. I've got to stop making these kinds of assumptions.

Once again, Len turned around as the hue of the sunset's lights adored his soft-smiling face. He put a finger up to his mouth, signaling me to keep quiet.

Then he let himself fall down to the water.

" Len!"

I ran out after him. And when I reached to where I thought he was, I saw him there, floating with his face on the surface of the water, his eyes were closed and the smile was still there. He was enjoying himself.

Really, damn you,you bastard.

He opened his eyes suddenly, looking at me. " The water is nice, right? Lovely for a swim. We should come here some time… if we can." The last three words came out no where above a whisper.

I frowned at him, suddenly rememebered the reason why I was out here in the water. " What were you trying to do? You almost gave me a heart attack you know!" I shouted then suddenly, Len was not floating in the water anymore as I found himself in his arms. It happened so fast that I did not even notice that it did.

" What are you…"

" I'm happy." He said suddenly and tightened his hold around me.

" Why is that?" I managed to ask.

" Because you were worried about me."

" I didn't say anything that relates to 'worrying about you'." I protested.

" But you ran out here, I bet that you thought I was comitting suicide, so you came out thinking that you'd try to stop me from drowning myself." He pushed me out of his embrace slightly as he looked at me.

The soft smile was still there on his lips.

And… I think that… I like it a lot.

" You are saying ridiculous things again." I said then turned away.

" I'm drunk, this is the first time I have tried having alcohol you know."

" And I thought that drunkards don't argue with logical reasons." I repeated his words with a mocking voice.

" I don't see the reasons to all of the things Ive just said and done."

" Yeah right!"

And once again, the grips of his hands on my shoulders tightened. He held me still then looked straight into my eyes, straight into my heart. His golden eyes glimmered under the dying lights of the sun that was a little bit from saying good-bye for the day. The smiled disappeared and his expression turned somewhat sad…

" I'm sorry, so sorry for all of the things I've done. I promise that I'll make it up for you."

I shook my head. " No need." The water under our feet was getting chilly. " But when something is bothering you, then please share it with me and I'll do all of the things I can to help. Just stop doing what you were doing for the past few weeks, okay?"

It was his turn to look away, but the tight grips were still there on my shoulders then the fingers were slightly moving. He was considering something. It was not until a few minutes later did he finally look at me again then said, " I have something to tell you when we arrive home."

And I nodded in return.

* * *

That night, his touches were softer, gentler and much more passionate; and he was not violent.

Three in the morning and we were lying there, sprawling out on the bed, panting and our breaths were ragged with sweats running down our bodies.

" Tomorrow you get to clean the sheet." I rasped out to him as he nodded while chuckling.

" It'll be hard to rinse all of this out." He joked with a wide smile.

" Serves you right."

I found out that his grandfather was making him break up with me and marry a woman then start to live righteously; or else his name would be erased from the family tree. And to put on more weight to the deal, the oldman started to pressure him by forcing other companies to stop signing contracts with Len. But the point was that he even told Len that he would make my family go jobless and all!

Damn that dirty old man and his power.

But in the end, Len said that he has taken care of everything, and he said it with a smile, so like it or not, I would have to trust him. It was because of all of those reasons and my… what he called 'weird' attitude that made him act so strangely. He thought that I was breaking up with him. He thought that I was going out with another person.

The great Tsukimori Len was jealous!

It was pretty hard to believe that, but in the end, he was just another human-being and he has every right to express his feelings.

And the reason why he called and said that he would be back late this afternoon was because he wanted to buy some things to celebrate his success in winning against his grandfather which I did not know how he did it.

Hino called earlier, she along with Hihara-senpai apologized for all of the things that happened. They said that they were worried about my relationship with Len and vice versa to they had thought up a plan that was to confirm our feelings with each other. Hino set the plan going after receiving my call, Hihara just drank one or two cans of beer and the last one was dripping all over his body. Their first step was to confirm mine first then Len.

Although they didn't anticipate Len's arrival, so in the end, Hihara-senpai got punch in the face and we mended ourselves.

I laughed after hearing all of that and thanked them anyway, since if it hadn't been for them, I don't think that things would work out like the way they did. Hihara-senpai was yelling something through the phone that sounded like he was telling me to explain everything to Len and that he was just playing along. Honestly, Len and I really have good friends, whether they have crazy ideas sometimes or not.

And Len? Well, as I told you, we mended ourselves and everything is just fine at the moment. He turned back to his old-self, a bar of black chocolate.

'Why' you ask. Because with dark chocolate, at first when you eat it, it is extremely bitter and makes you want to throw it away. But after some time, you get used to it and from within the bitter taste, you find something sweet; and I as I call it: sweet in a special, bitter way.

Len was just like that.

Sweet in a bitter way.

Have you found your kind of sweetness, yet?

_**

* * *

**__**A/N:**_ A bit cheesy, huh? Well, review and tell me what you think. I'd appreciate that. Bye-bye for now.


End file.
